


Perfect for Us

by SpaceKase



Category: Psychonauts (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Domestic Fluff, Engagement, F/F, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21931963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceKase/pseuds/SpaceKase
Summary: No one ever said your early-to-mid twenties were supposed to be easy. This went for Razputin Aquato and Lili Zanotto, as well.Still, being high-ranking members of a secret agent organization that specialized in psychic powers at least made it that much more exciting.Written for the Psychonauts Secret Santa 2019 exchange.
Relationships: Franke Athens/Kitty Bubai, Razputin Aquato & Franke Athens, Razputin Aquato/Lili Zanotto
Kudos: 14





	Perfect for Us

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Psychonauts Secret Santa exchange for 2019, which was arranged by the lovely Kibasniper. My Secret Santa giftee was RainbowSquirt! Happy holidays!
> 
> This takes place fourteen years after the original game. The original game came out in 2005, and 2019 is coming to an end soon, and Psychonauts 2 is coming out next year, so it all just seemed right, you know?
> 
> It was fun to write this. Psychonauts is truly a most excellent game, one I was obsessed with for a long time. Still am! The obsession just lies dormant a lot of the time. So writing this was kind of like coming home.

No one ever said your early-to-mid twenties were supposed to be easy. This went for Razputin Aquato and Lili Zanotto, as well.

Still, being high-ranking members of a secret agent organization that specialized in psychic powers at least made it that much more exciting. 

After all, how many other twenty-four-year-olds could claim to have nearly died three times while trying to recover a stolen vase? 

Near Death Encounter Number One happened when Raz and Lili found themselves having to jump from a helicopter. 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they didn't want us to get to Russia," Raz remarked as he and his partner watched the burning wreck tumble towards the ocean. 

He'd be a lot more worried, but thankfully the pilot and only other passenger was safe in his arms. They were both wearing parachutes, but that hadn't occurred to Raz; grabbing his girlfriend of fourteen years bridal style and controlling their fall with levitation _had._

Lili, as always, was on his mental wavelength. _This is more romantic, anyway_ , Raz caught with his telepathy. What she _actually_ said was _"No;_ you _think?_ " 

That was Lili Zanotto. A prickly pear; sharp on the outside, sweet on the inside. "Good thing you picked up on that missile before the chopper's system did." 

"Good thing _you're_ better with a shield than I am." Indeed, they were watching the explosion grow smaller and smaller through the glowing orange light of Raz's psi shield. 

"Thanks, Lil." Raz gave her a sheepish smile. "I tried to put the shield up around the chopper, but I don't use it as much as I probably should." He made a mental note to work on the skill at a later date. Preferably one where they weren't slowly but surely floating down towards the water.

Lili shrugged. "It's government property; it's insured. Besides, it's not like there aren't more where those came from."

"I guess. Gonna be a Hell of a lot of annoying paperwork, though."

Lili smirked up at him. It was a bit less effective than she probably hoped, considering that Raz was still holding her snugly to his chest. "When you were a kid, did you dream of all that red tape?"

"I had _visions_ of red tape, but I always thought they were gonna be literal. The rest of it kind of balances it out, though."

"Fair enough." Lili began to squirm in his arms. "Speaking of balance, we're about to tread water. Time to switch."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Raz was a modern guy, after all; if his girlfriend wanted to carry _him_ to protect him from the Hand of Galochio, then he was all right with it.

Raz's psychic skill set might have been varied and well-rounded, but so was Lili's. They never actually touched the water; Lili's boots hovered one foot above the surface at all times, even as her mind propelled them forward as though they were on invisible jet skis.

Because of her, Raz didn't get close enough to the sea for his mental demons to get the better of them, but close enough to feel the spray. 

Advertisements for the Psychonauts would boast about being able to explore many different worlds, but in Raz's experience, there were really only two: The Field, the part where he got to experience all the adventures he'd wanted to have as a kid, and The Office, where he...didn't. 

Sure, Psychonauts HQ _looked_ impressive, but once you got used to it, it was a completely different atmosphere. Going out in The Field meant something new; a new place to explore and figure out, both outside and inside peoples' minds. The Office, on the other hand, was paperwork and water cooler chitchat and birthday cards everyone got to sign. _Had_ to sign.

There _was_ still excitement from time to time; it was just a different _kind_ of excitement, one you had to look out for. 

Raz noticed it in the form of one Franceska Athens, or Franke for short. He nearly literally ran into her when his lunch break came around one day. "Oh, hey!"

She smiled at him. "Heya, Raz!" Away from her girlfriend's passive aggressive cattiness and cutting wit, Franke could actually be pretty sweet. She'd mellowed out and grown since she was a child. Where had their time at Whispering Rock gone?

"Staying for lunch?"

"Yep! I was supposed to meet Kitty here, but it looks like she's running late."

Raz sat at one of the hovering tables in the cafe area. "Well, here; why don't you wait with me?"

Franke shrugged. "Why not?" she said before sitting across from him. He watched curiously as she unpacked the lunch she'd clearly brought from home. The nicely-packed rice, meat, and salad made Raz's pre-made sub sandwich look somewhat lackluster. "You made that?"

Franke nodded. "Yep! I _always_ make meals for me and Kitty." She frowned. "I hope she shows up soon. If she doesn't, I hope she remembers to eat." 

Raz didn't have the heart to tell Franke that her girlfriend of sixteen years was probably still at her secretarial desk, painting her nails instead of answering the phones like she should. He watched as Franke stabbed her salad with a plastic spork.

The fluorescent light caught a flash of gold on Franke's hand. Without thinking, Raz asked "What's that?"

Franke blinked before following his gaze. A dreamy smile overcame her features as she placed her spork down and held out her hand for him to see. Sure enough, there was a simple gold band around her ring finger.

Raz's eyes widened. "Is...is that...?"

"An engagement ring, yeah."

Raz grinned. "Congratulations! You finally popped the question!" 

"Actually no; _Kitty_ did. It was so romantic; I cooked dinner for the two of us, and she came into the kitchen, got down on one knee, and just..." Franke sighed, and Raz tried not to laugh. He was pretty sure that was the expression _he_ made whenever Lili was near him. "I think she wanted to do something bigger and flashier, but she knew _I_ would like something small and simple. She knows me so well."

"Well, yeah," Raz said. "How long have you two been together, again?"

"Since we were kids, really." Raz was pretty convinced that Franke didn't even know she was girlfriends with Kitty until Kitty had told her. 

Not like Raz had much of a leg to stand on; _he_ hadn't realized that he was Lili's boyfriend until she'd outright called him that. "Like me and Lili," he said.

"Yeah; kinda like that." 

"When's the wedding?" Raz asked. 

"We haven't decided on a date yet. Kitty _really_ wants it to be in spring, but that's when my allergies are worst." Franke shrugged. "We'll figure it out."

Raz smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you guys. It's about time!"

Franke gave him a smile. "Thanks, Raz. Now, enough about me; how are you and Lili?"

Raz was about to answer, but it was right then that Kitty sauntered up behind Franke. Raz held back laughter as she covered her fiancee's eyes with heavily bangled hands. "Guess who?"

"Uhhh...Truman Zanotto?" Raz was genuinely unsure if Franke was playing along or if she really didn't know.

"Hmph. He wishes. Try again." Everyone who knew Kitty Bubai had something to say about her: she was trendy, a fashionista, she was stuck up, she was spoiled, she was rich, she was catty and mean and manipulative.

Most importantly, she was completely dedicated to Franke.

Raz was reminded of his _own_ complicated, multi-layered lady love. 

"Agent Love? Your hands _are_ awfully warm." Okay, _now_ Raz was certain that Franke was playing along. Franke wasn't _stupid,_ she just didn't have her fiancee's wits, he guiltily reminded himself.

Kitty rolled her eyes. Raz had always wondered if her pupils were naturally spiral-ly or if she just wore contacts. "Guess again."

A slow smile spread over Franke's lips. "I know it's you, Kitty. I recognized your perfume."

"Good job, Babe." With that, Kitty let Franke go before pulling up a seat next to her. She kissed her cheek, leaving a neon green lip print against the deep magenta skin. Then she looked at Raz with a flat sort of look. "Raz."

 _Raz the Spaz,_ Raz absently completed. He didn't say so out loud, though. They were adults now; even if they still didn't care for each other, they could be civil. "Hey, Kitty. Heard about your engagement. Congrats!"

She managed a smile. "Thanks. I should've done it sooner."

Franke shook her head. "Naw, Kitty; it was perfect." 

Seeing the two of them like this, in such perfect synch, with matching gold bands on their fingers, was making Raz feel _some way_. Right then, it specifically felt like he was intruding on something personal.

"Well, this was nice," he said as he stood up, "but I'll leave you to it." 

He still had half a sandwich left, but neither woman noticed.

The second time they almost died on the mission was all Raz's fault. 

"This is all your fault, Raz." He was back to back with Lili, so he couldn't see her expression, but he was pretty sure she was glaring. The thugs that surrounded them were all tall and intimidating, but none of them knew Lili Zanotto: he didn't have to look to know that several of them were now on the unfortunate end of her annoyance.

"I know," he said as he telepathically threw someone over the ledge. He'd feel worse, but he knew that there was water beneath. He was pretty sure the guy would live. "I honestly thought I knew what I was doing." It was an explanation, not an excuse. 

"For God's sake, I told you to wait for a bomb squad! This isn't the movies; of _course_ you cut the wrong wire!" Raz heard a rather girly scream. Judging by the noise and smell, he guessed that Lili had just set someone on fire. 

There was a reason he'd fallen in love with her, after all. 

"It wasn't a movie," he admitted as he levitated to miss a gunshot. "It was an issue of True Psychic Tales." Not that that made things any better.

"That doesn't make things any better!" snapped Lili. "You can't believe everything you read!"

"I know, I know." The bomb had only started ticking faster when Raz had tampered with it. In a panic, he'd telekinetically thrown it as far as he could.

He and Lili were still alive, but the noise had drawn every employee who worked in this building. It was nothing they couldn't handle, but it meant that that much more time would pass before they could retrieve the stolen artifact.

Their superiors were going to give them both an earful when they got back. Even though it was Raz's fault. 

"Sorry," was the most he could offer. By this point, it looked like there was only a handful of hired hands left. Several of them seemed to realize how out of their depth they were and were choosing to run. Not as much fun for them, but at least it made things more convenient.

"Oh, well. This is more fun, anyway." 

And at least the two of them were still on the same brain wavelength. 

"Did you know that Kitty and Franke got engaged?"

They sat on the couch in their apartment watching television. Something was on, but neither of them were really paying attention. Lili's legs were over Raz's, on which a bowl of popcorn was precariously placed. Raz reached in to pull a handful of the salty buttered treat. "Yeah. 'Bout time, right?"

"No kidding. They've only been together sixteen years."

Raz let his gaze slowly wander over his girlfriend. Her glossy red hair had gotten longer; she'd traded in her girlish pigtails for ponytails and braids a few years ago, occasionally putting it up in buns or fancy up-dos for special occasions. Right now it hung loose around her shoulders, catching the bluish light of the television. 

Without thinking, Raz said " _We've_ been together for fourteen."

"I _know_ , Raz; I remember the anniversary." They'd tried something conventional; a nice dinner at a restaurant. That had gotten derailed when one of the other patrons had tried to dine and dash, and the person had turned out to be psychic. 

It hadn't gone according to plan, but it wasn't like they were a conventional couple. It had suited them both just fine.

"I'm just thinkin'...what are your thoughts on that?"

Lili raised an eyebrow. "On Kitty and Franke getting married? I just told you--"

"On marriage. Like... _period._ " 

"Oh. Um..." Lili reached for popcorn. Her eyes were cast down in a thoughtful looking way, and Raz found himself mesmerized by how she looked without makeup. She looked nice with it, too, of course, but the fact that she let him see her without it was something special. "As a kid, I didn't want to get married. It was kinda my 'not like other girls' phase."

Raz blinked. "Aren't there a _lot_ of girls who don't want to get married?"

"Yep! Try telling ten-year-old Lili that, though." She laughed at the thought of herself as an edgy young child. It was a memory that Raz enjoyed; that was who she'd been when they met and started dating, after all. "Now, though? I...wouldn't say 'no' to the idea?"

"Really?" Raz asked, idea sparking in the back of his heavily guarded mind. "You wouldn't?"

"I mean," Lili said, "that we've been together fourteen years. And we're probably gonna be together for a lot more. So, like...why not make it official?"

Raz stared at the woman in his lap. She wore an over-sized black t-shirt with a teal skull on it and a pair of white-and-pink plaid boxer shorts for pajamas. Her calves were a warm, dull weight that he could feel through his pajama pants. She was completely un-made-up before him, literally letting her hair down. She was comfortable here, after he'd seen her put up metaphorical shields as a child. 

Raz was _just_ as comfortable with her. The realization hit him like a psi bolt to the skull. She was right; he _did_ want to spend the rest of his life with her. 

"So...is it official right now?" His voice was quieter and shyer than he'd meant. 

Lili frowned, appearing to think carefully, before she finally shook her head. "No...not yet," she said. "It's not the right moment."

Raz nodded. "Understood. It's gotta be perfect, right?"

"Not _perfect_..." Lili rested a buttery hand on top of Raz's equally buttery one. "Just perfect for _us_."

The third near-death experience on the mission was only experienced by Raz. He and Lili had been separated, so now Raz was dealing with the vase thief on his own. 

The guy wasn't anywhere near as active as Raz, but his telekinesis was a sight to behold. He was giving Raz the workout of his life as he moved an impressive series of colorful, translucent platforms around the room with his mind. All while monologuing, too! Raz flipped from one edge to another, wishing that he could multi-task like that; he was mostly focusing on not falling to his death, so he was only catching bits and pieces of the rare material the vase was made of and how it would further the villain's goals. 

_Didn't realize the vase was that important_ , he thought as as he found a good vantage point to stand still just long enough to aim a psi blast. It was a close shot, but it hit its intended target. The attack ripped through the clothing on the large man's shoulder, revealing dark purple skin. 

The platforms all jittered, a result of the vase thief being distracted enough to lose concentration. 

And yet, it still didn't stop him from monologuing. 

The man was a consummate professional; Raz would definitely give him that. 

Still, this had gone on long enough. From where he was, Raz saw an opening. Mixing levitation and acrobatics, he flew between two pieces of translucent yellow glass and landed on the same platform as the villain. 

Who then proceeded to reach into his suit jacket and pull out a revolver. 

_Damnit..._ Raz's psi shield was good, but not strong enough to protect him from a real-world bullet. Especially not at this distance. 

Realizing the tight spot he was in, he reluctantly placed his hands up. "Easy, Pal...It doesn't have to go this way." Miraculously, amidst all the chaos and explosions, no one had been killed on this mission. Raz didn't intend to be the exception to that rule. 

"Oh, but it does. You see..." Right back to the monologue. Raz resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

In doing so, he caught a flash of red and green from up above. If the guy noticed how Raz looked up, he didn't say anything about it. Nor did he say anything about how Raz held his breath as he watched the woman he loved press two fingers to her temple, the universal gesture among psychics that meant they were concentrating on their powers. Raz didn't even know if it really worked; at this point it had just become instinct to him.

Lili didn't set the guy on fire. She didn't psi-blast him in the back of the head. She didn't even psi-detonate him, and that was the power she was the most excited to use on a regular basis.

One of the discarded heavy platforms rose slowly in the air. Raz watched with bated breath as it slowly but surely moved into position just above the villain. 

What happened next seemed to pass by in slow motion. The platform didn't kill the thief, but landing on his head _did_ knock him out.

And as the man lost consciousness, Raz felt the ground beneath his feet give out. 

_No killing, no killing,_ a frantic voice in the back of his mind hissed. He telekinetically grabbed the unconscious thief before focusing on saving himself, scrambling to levitate the two of them away from all the falling platforms and debris. 

Only to find a force he wasn't controlling simultaneously pushing and pulling him upwards, right onto more solid ground and into his girlfriend's arms. 

Raz chuckled sheepishly as she smirked up at him. "Thanks for saving me," he said through the strong sense of deja vu. 

"I played damsel in distress for you once when we were kids, Raz. No offense, but I'm _not_ doing it again." Her words had a bit of edge to them, but Raz was still on her wavelength. He could tell she was relieved that he was all right. 

"Hey, I get it. I'm a modern guy; you wanna save me from near-death experiences, I'm not gonna complain." They were in this together; he suspected there would be a lot more.

He couldn't wait.

Lili's face lit up, shining almost literally in the reflected bright colors of the falling platforms. "Raz...will you marry me?"

They were a modern couple, all right. "Hell yeah!" 

Among all the chaos, the structure around them collapsing, the sounds of glass shattering and wood and concrete crumbling, Raz and Lili kissed for the first time as fiancees. 


End file.
